Elizabeth Blackwell was an extraordinary and brilliant woman who made incredible strides in medicine, no matter what. She is credited with being the first woman in the United States to receive a medical degree. Other than medicine, Blackwell was an activist, notably an ardent defender of women’s rights. For details, go to i-new-york.com.
Blackwell, in her younger years
The future prominent physician, Elizabeth Blackwell, was born in 1821 in Britain, in the town of Bristol. She was brought up and raised in a pretty big family. Besides her, the Blackwell family had eight other children. Elizabeth’s parents were very progressive people by the standards of that time. They believed in the power of education and social reform. Therefore, Blackwell’s parents, in every way, encouraged all of their nine children, both boys and girls. They raised them in complete equality. Each was supported in their endeavors, developing interests and getting a good education.
How medicine came into Blackwell’s life
When young Elizabeth was 11 years old, the entire Blackwell family decided to move to the United States to seek a better life. At first, they lived in Ohio. But after five years, the head of the family, Elizabeth’s father, died. The entire Blackwell family was left without a single penny amid the economic crisis in the United States. They had nothing to pay for housing and nothing to buy food. The mother and her older children were forced to work. In particular, Elizabeth worked as a teacher and governess in her youth to support herself and her family.
Along with her work, Elizabeth looked after a sick friend of hers. Medicine came into Elizabeth’s life when her friend died. She became very interested in medicine after her close friend died of a painful illness. Specifically, she noticed that many women in the United States and worldwide were not receiving proper medical care due to the lack of female physicians. That exactly was what prompted Blackwell to become a physician, despite the many obstacles and prejudices she faced as a woman in a field of medicine dominated exclusively by men in the 19th century.
Several medical colleges existed in 19th-century America, but no one admitted women. That said, there were several women in the country at that time who found a way to get an education and work as physicians without a license.
When Elizabeth turned 26, she decided to try her luck and applied to several American medical schools. But all her applications were rejected because of her gender. However, there was one school in New York State that accepted her.
During her studies, she faced gender discrimination. She was the only woman among men to receive a medical education. But despite all the difficulties, she reached many heights during her studies. Her knowledge and activities attracted the attention of the general public. Elizabeth Blackwell became a true sensation.
Despite her high achievement during her studies, Elizabeth persisted in the face of gender discrimination after graduation. In particular, she was not accepted in the male medical society. Moreover, her patients looked at her with skepticism and mistrust. But Elizabeth overcame all of these difficulties as well. She managed to open her own medical practice in New York and focused on providing medical care to women and children. Elizabeth also was a driving force behind the founding of a medical college for women in her native country of England. It was a tremendous achievement at that time because it gave women access to medical education, which previously had been constantly denied to them.
Besides making incredible strides on the medical front, Elizabeth was active in the struggle for women’s rights. She fought for women’s right to vote and to expand their rights on an equal footing with men. Elizabeth has even written several books about women and their opportunities to practice medicine on an equal footing with men and how women’s participation in this area would improve the overall quality of health care.